Machine for lowering lumber.



J. A. PETERMAN.

MACHINE FOR LOWERING LUMBER.

APPLICATION man MAR. 29. 1915.

1,172,042. Patented Feb. 15, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I 42 7 A WIT/V5385: INVE/VTUB Jazrws A.Pezerman, @W ZQM r- W.

Arron/ms J. A. PETERMAN.

MACHINE FOR LOWERING LUMBER. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 29. 1915.

2 SHEETS SHEET 2.

ATTORNEYS THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH 50., WASHINGTON, D. c.

UNIIEDSTATE if-TENT EFIQE.

MACHINE FOR LOWEEINGYLUMBER.

Specification ofee r at m. Pat te'dlibil5g 191a A ndtion'mea mmh 2539 15. SerieTNoIliYBt To 297mmit may potbm:

Belt known t I, JAMES A. PET'ERMAN, -a'c1t1zenofthe Umted States; and a: T651- 'dent bf Franklin, in the parish of StJMary J in fs'pzltedrelfition to the pile Of lumber, so

"the? no interference with the -W0rk "bf-Te movingf the lurhber from theicenveyer, will beexperienced.

Still another object is to provide gt device (if the class described "which Twill be extremely simple, chirable, efficient in dpei'af tion, and inexpensive to "mahtl-fzicture.

With these *an'dother Objects in View tio'n proceeds, the invention TeSid'es in the COIlStIUCtlOIl, ccmblnatlon, and armfigement 16 at the ends thereof are the larger sprocket wheels 18. It will be noted that the'shaft. 16 is disposed on the outside oflthe'plane of the masts, while-the shaft ;14 is disposed" on the. inside of that plane.

Each of the pairs of sprocket :wheels 15 and 218 carries an endless conveyer chain-.19.

These chains 1911111 in unison by. reasonof v the fact that the sprocket wheels carrying them are fastened to. their respective shafts, the latter being, journaled for rotation.

intervals; a plurality of :barsor plates 20. T he, latter; are pivotally connected $130 the chains at pointsabove, or adjacent their centers throughthe medium of ears 21 formed on: or securedto suitable links of the chain.

Extending outwardly from each of the bars is an arm 22. Ab'race 23 connectsthe outer end of each? arm. with. the lower. end

7 of the bar to which that ;arm is attached.

These arms 22am arranged at a slight angle withrespect to the plates or bars 20, and they extend outwardly vfrom, the chains, so

that as indicated in Fig.2,the arms onthe descending flight of the conveyor, or .that fiight nearestthe lumber pile indicatedat 24, extend toward ithe lumber pile and. are

inclined slightly aipwardly. It will. be noted will be noted that the shaft 14 is provided 'Each of the chains 19 has pivoted thereto a and onthe outer face thereof at equi-spaced with a friction pulley 25 over which-a flexible brake band 26 provided with a segmental brake shoe i27"extends.u. The outer end of the band is fastened as at428 to one of the members ofthe superstructure B, and I the inner end of said band 26 .isconnected by a linl .29.with a brake lever 30. The

- latter is hingedly connected as at '31 to another member of the superstructure B. The outer end of the brake lever 30 is connected by an adjustable link. 32 with. an arm 33 carried by a rock shaft 134:. The-latter is journaled for reciprocation in suitable{ i brackets 35 secured tothe platform '(seeFigu 2). Near its outer-end ithe brake. lever is ends of the rock shaft 34 are bent; atright angles to form the arms or levers 37. The latter it'will be noted extend ina direction' opposite to the directionin which the lever 33v extends. Pedals 38 are provided onthe outer ends of the arms 37, and maybe depressed: by the foot oftheoperator. Such; depression. willfrock the shaft 3% in such;

2' provided witha depending weight 36 which normally maintains the brake shoe in engagement with the friction pulley 25. a The near that stack. I moved from the stack; and placed upon: the

'upon the rollers 40; frbm which; it may b Extending; outwardly from the super-'3 structure D and onthe same side thereof as .1 t that on: which-the shaft is disposed; .is a platform 39. The latter is provided with rollers. 40 at. its ends, said rollers-being journaled transversely of the platform {and in substantial parallelrelationwith the con- I w veyer arms 22. The platform 39 is ofja length less than the distance between the: chains -19, so. that as the: latter I rotate, the arms 22 maypass; below the platform-39; near the ends thereof'andoutside of gsaidy g platform. r V i The brake mechanism may be provided; as shown in Fig. 1; 41, innthe form ofa curved shield. 7

The operation of the device: maybe briefly described-'asfo'llows: When it is'desired' ito'l unload lumber from the top of anygiven:

stack, the device is moved by hand ftotake= a position alongsidethe lumber stackwith;

the upper flight zof' gth'e convey er disposed.

The lumber is] then gre-i arms 22-?carried by the descending' fiight {of I the conveyor, and the; weight ,of thelinnber movesgthel conveyer in ;such direction: tl1at. 5

the. lumber islowered' and is finally disppsec readily withdrawn :by the operatorpf Dur-i 2 ing the, time thatithe-lumber is descending,

the brake is .adaptedto becontrolled .by the 1 0a operator for regulating. the rate of descent? i of the lumber, and forastopping jiti .at will. The brake it will benotedfis.ordinarily on;

and inorder: that. the lumber;,maydescend, 1 V the 1 operator must I- necessarily depress? the. :105.

pedali38so as .to.releasektheibrakej. Thus; the gravity actuatedconveyer. is at alltimes'a under the control of the operator andadanger of the operator being struck accidentally by, descending-lumber; is; reduced to a mini-c 11o mum.-

. r n, W111 be noted 'that; rnostof the weight:

of the device .is placed upon one side of the: platform, and in order Qto I equalize this- 1 weight, the opposite side of the superstru-c 115:

ture is provided with "a pair of-weight boxfesl 42 in which su table wei ghtsgma'y be? placed so that the r strain-iand weight .uponathe ground wheels and" platform 1 will be equals izcd.

Although I haveadescribed the preferred embodiment of my; invention l may desi r l c to make such changes ;in itheiconstruction, COmlOHiaUOH; andil arrangeinent of t p-arts.

thereof, as do not depart from thespijiiit of the invention. and fth thegappgndde claims" i r I icla'imz e 1. A device of zthe class 1 described icoiinv,

prising a} portable, =platform a {superstiiuca ith'ijagcowl or housing; 7

ture mounted thereupon, vertically extendi ing masts disposed in spaced relation and carried upon the platform, means for bracing the masts, a pair of shafts journaled on wheels keyed upon the upper shaft, conveyer chains carried by each of the pairs of larger and smaller sprocket wheels, a plurality of bars pivotally connected at spaced intervals to each of the conveyer chains, arms extending outwardly from said bars, braces connecting the arms and bars, said arms being disposed at a slight upward inclination with respect to the descending flight of the conveyer, said arms adapted to have material placed upon them whereby the material may be lowered through the action of gravity, brake means for controlling the movements of the conveyer, a platform carried by the superstructure and provided with rollers, said arms adapted to pass said platform while descending, and meanscarried by the superstructure for counterbalancing the weight of the mechanism-mounted thereupon;

2. Adevice of the class described comprising a portable platform,,a pair of vertically extending masts disposed in spaced relation on said platform, a superstructure to I which the masts are braced, an endless conveyer carried by the masts and being dis-' posed in a plane at an inclination to the plane in which the masts lie, outwardly extending arms pivotally connected to the con- V veyer and adapted to receive lumber Whereby the latter may be lowered by gravity, means for automatically receiving the lumber from the said arms, and means for coun- JAMES A. PETERMAN.

Witnesses:

IRA W. SCHWARTZ, H. S. PARFY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

